Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Leading politicians join Malaysia Think Tank's Cross Party Advisory Group

Kuala Lumpur, 16 Feb 2009

To mark the official opening of the second term of the 12th parliament by DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, the Malaysia Think Tank today announces the formation of its Cross Party Advisory Group (CPAG) comprising of leading politicians from different political parties.

Commenting on the appointment, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said: "I am honoured and excited to be part of an organisation to help form the thinking of future generations of Malaysians.I want to share my thoughts on the values of liberal democracy and the responsibilities that freedom brings as a result to help in the formation of a true Bangsa Malaysia."

Wong Nai Chee agreed, saying "social conditions have changed since 1957. The most difficult thing now faced by the country is formulation of policies that will be accepted by all for the next 50 years and onwards."

Dato' Kamaruddin Jaffar stressed that "the Malaysian political landscape is changing and I hope the Malaysia Think Tank can make positive contributions towards that change."

Yusmadi Yusoff noted that "the cross-party model employed by the Malaysia Think Tank is very brave. I will try my best to help this ambitious organisation in their effort to make Malaysia a truly democratic country."

Tunku Aziz, a former Vice-Chairman of Transparency International, reiterated: "There is absolutely no substitute for democratic values, principles and practices as we strive to establish our national identity as a just, caring and enlightened society."

Malaysia Think Tank Director Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz said: "With this we hope to show that mature debates on policy and ideas can be accomplished in a peaceful and constructive way.All the political parties these individuals belong to have contributed to the national political landscape since Merdeka.They will continue to do so, and the nature of the competition between them will determine Malaysia's fortunes in the years ahead.We are confident that the Malaysia Think Tank will benefit from this discussion through the CPAG."

Director General Wan Saiful Wan Jan adds: "In combination, members of our CPAG bring decades of nation-building experience to us. I am deeply humbled that they have agreed to help. The MTT as an organisation does not claim to speak on behalf of our CPAG members. We recognise that there are differences. These are political leaders of outstanding capabilities, and they will continue to play their own unique roles to improve the country via their respective parties. But we will seek their advice to develop policy ideas to make the country more prosperous and more harmonious."

The Malaysia Think Tank's mission is to encourage the adoption of the principles of free individuals, free markets, limited government, and the rule of law in Malaysia. The MTT is a non-partisan and not-for-profit organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, with a branch in London. Its operations are funded by grants and private donations.